“Kyaoooo─!”
Scylla was a monster of the serpent type, as they are commonly called.
Its body, a fitting blend of snake and dragon, easily exceeded fifteen meters in length, its entire form fortified by sturdy, magic-enhanced scales.
It floated.
It floated.
A flash!
A rumble!
A clang!
‘Oh.’
Surprisingly, even after enduring multiple lightning strikes from my mini thundercloud, the creature continued to hover in the air, seemingly unscathed.
Could those magnificent scales be absorbing the lightning, simply deflecting its raw power?
Having only witnessed minor monsters perish instantly with a single blow until now, I must admit, I found this rather novel.
“Kishiiik──!!”
As Scylla roared and writhed, a tempest erupted, instantly scattering my thunderclouds across the distant sky.
Though I retaliated by manipulating the atmospheric currents, Scylla’s fierce resistance soon forced me to relinquish control once more.
‘Hmm.’
Perhaps a creature of its caliber truly possesses some formidable power?
To bravely contend with me, a celestial being of Dangun mythology, honestly makes me feel like applauding it, if only once.
Yet, seeing Scylla begin its flight with an air of triumph, as if claiming victory, an inexplicable surge of irritation welled within me.
“…….”
Having realized it could withstand my Stage 1 output, I decided to proceed to Stage 2.
A rumble!
A crash!
Crackling!
The slightly enlarged thundercloud puppy began to unleash bolts of lightning from its tiny maw, causing sparks to continuously erupt across Scylla’s scales.
Scylla thrashed and roared, perhaps bewildered by the significantly amplified power.
In response, a portion of the West Sea was swiftly enveloped by the converging clouds, plunging into shadow.
“Hup.”
If it could withstand Stage 2, then Stage 3 would follow.
As I ignited a little more of the magical energy within me, the atmospheric currents that Scylla had been dominating effortlessly shifted into my grasp.
“Kishiiik──?”
Though Scylla desperately tried to muster its strength, conjuring tempests and attempting to control the clouds, its efforts were utterly futile.
With me merely exerting enough power to crush a single can, Scylla found itself stripped of its once-confident command over the sky.
‘Hmm.’
That’s enough.
I understand now, Scylla, your true level.
Rumble-rumble-rumble─!
Vapor, converging in one spot, surged upward on powerful updrafts, beginning to form a colossal cloud mass.
The nascent cumulonimbus clouds expanded with furious intensity, completely engulfing Scylla’s vision, a scale far beyond anything it could possibly command.
“Kishiiik!”
In utter dismay, Scylla veered away from the cumulonimbus and accelerated its flight, yet I, of course, had no intention of merely watching it escape.
A rumble!
A colossal crash!
Thud!
Thud!
Crack!
Crackling and sizzling──!!
“Kishaak──!!”
Scylla shrieked in agony, desperately thrashing to evade the thunderous assault.
Had it finally grasped the sheer greatness of this super-genius weather manipulator?
Seemingly realizing that what lay beyond was a force it could not contend with, Scylla, having completely lost its will to fight, frantically plunged towards the ocean surface.
Splash!
Whoosh─!
So utterly terrified by my assault, it shrieked in fear, diving to the very bottom of the sea in a desperate bid for survival.
Wait, could it possibly be an amphibious type?
Though its actions were somewhat absurd, Scylla’s movements as it executed its ‘pants-run’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘ppanseuran,’ referring to a hasty escape or retreat, often implying cowardice.) were utterly unhindered, as if it were naturally capable of operating underwater.
‘Hmm……’
I considered pursuing it to the very end for further punishment, but deciding this much was sufficient, I gently withdrew my power.
If it continued in that direction, would its destination be somewhere near Gochang?
Having inflicted ample damage and bought them enough time, the hunters on site would surely have sufficient room to maneuver and respond.
‘…Is this about it?’
Initially, I had anticipated a more engaging challenge, but ultimately, the creature’s power proved far too inadequate to contend with me, the Floor Master of Bucheon City.
The battle for dominance over the West Sea’s sky was a complete victory.
Returning the gathered clouds to the natural cycle, I displayed a smile brimming with satisfaction, a hint of pride more pronounced than usual.
‘Now, I should just watch.’
Stretching my legs out on the bed, I accessed the archive, and the channel’s bulletin board, still updating at a rapid pace, immediately caught my eye.
Just as I suspected, given that it was a channel for Awakened individuals from Korea, it seemed there were high-ranking users (TL Note: ‘gonik’ refers to users with established, often recognized, usernames, implying they are well-known or influential within the community.) deployed to the scene to stop Scylla.
Ding!
[Subject: Uh, shit, they say Scylla’s coming this way?]
[Naju Mandarin]
[Content]
–No way; why is it actually coming???
With that single, visibly panicked message from Naju Mandarin, the high-ranking boss monster Scylla finally began to appear in the skies over South Korea.
****
“Is the defensive line not ready yet?”
“Hey! How about some buffs over here too?”
“Firepower specialists, this way! It’s starting to approach!”
Naju Mandarin, Na Eunchan, clutched the massive shield in their hands, biting their lip with an awkward expression.
While they had been rambling on the channel about being a freelancer and not receiving the call, in truth, Eunchan had already deployed towards the vicinity of the West Coast with unmatched speed.
After all… they needed to find *some* work to pay off the mountain of loans for their equipment.
‘No, but why am I the only tank available for immediate deployment?’
More precisely, there was a severe shortage of tanks capable of withstanding Scylla’s attacks, those of a certain rank or higher.
From Eunchan’s perspective, who had simply intended to do their part and collect payment, this situation was nothing short of deeply perplexing.
“Na Eunchan Hunter, we’re counting on you.”
“Ah, yes… I’ll do my best.”
No, but honestly, isn’t this too much?
The opponent is a boss monster potentially nearing Rank 7, and they expect me to openly solo-tank among a group of uncoordinated individuals?
Eunchan possessed a certain confidence in their own abilities, yet this situation, by any measure, clearly placed an excessive burden upon the tank.
‘Ah, damn it, it’ll work out somehow.’
Since there were no tanks present capable of supporting them, someone absolutely had to intercept the enemy’s attacks on the front line.
Given the circumstances, they decided to definitively prove their skill here and aim for re-employment with better treatment!
As Eunchan made that resolution, the air was rent by a sound, and the bone-chilling roar of the dragon-serpent began to echo in their ears.
Whoosh─!
“It’s coming! Prepare for battle!”
“I’ll cast a blessing!”
So fast!
Only moments ago its form was spotted in the distance, yet now it had already approached to within a hair’s breadth of the hunters.
Eunchan, who had received all the tanking buffs alone, bit their tongue firmly and planted their feet into the ground, just as Scylla’s ponderous body, accompanied by a surging gale, collided with Eunchan’s shield.
Thud─!
Crackling─!!
‘W-what was that…?’
Immediately after the collision, Scylla’s posture was severely disrupted, sending fragments of shattered scales flying in every direction.
The hunters, observing the situation with wide eyes, instantly began signaling for an attack, as if determined not to miss this opportunity.
“Now!”
Whoosh!
Boom!
Crash!
Rumbling and shattering──!!
Ranged damage dealers positioned in the rear simultaneously barraged Scylla’s body, causing Scylla to recoil in immense pain, retreating to hover aimlessly in the air.
“Second wave, incoming! Can the tank hold out?”
“Uhm… Yes, well, I can still manage for now!”
Impressed by Eunchan’s surprisingly unscathed appearance, the hunters murmured exclamations of awe as they prepared their next assault, while Scylla, thoroughly enraged, began to conjure a thunderstorm with its roars.
But.
“Kishiiik──!”
No matter how much it roared or how much magic it channeled, the sky over the Gochang area simply refused to obey Scylla’s will.
A sense of powerlessness and despair, unlike anything it had ever known, washed over it.
Ultimately, Scylla, succumbing to a state akin to panic, abandoned all thought and once again accelerated, charging towards the hunters as its target.
“Huryat!”
Crraaaack─!
Thud─!!
Its scale armor, once a source of confidence, had already lost more than half its defensive power, and to make matters worse, an inexplicable shock rattled its body with every collision against the shield.
Inevitably, Scylla rapidly began to tire, and the hunters, too, instinctively sensed that their victory was drawing near.
‘Huh, what… I definitely heard they were a flawed taunt tank…’
‘They were this good? Aren’t they practically a regular-grade tank?’
In truth, the hunters present were well aware that even with all buffs concentrated on them, a mere B-rank tank alone would struggle to perfectly halt a boss monster of Scylla’s caliber.
Thus, they had intended to place them on the isolated front line, praying they would hold out as long as possible, while covering the insufficient tanking ability with sheer firepower.
However, with events unfolding this way, their assessment of Eunchan inevitably shifted.
‘Reflect tank… was that actually a truly viable new meta?’
‘I should definitely mention this to the Guild Master when I get back.’
Suddenly receiving a deluge of admiring gazes, Eunchan, emboldened by the long-unfelt exhilaration of the battlefield, began to further escalate their own tempo.
“Huryap!”
Craash!
In truth, just as Eunchan had always passionately asserted, their overall abilities were in no way inferior to those of their peer taunt tanks.
Yet, at some point, the perception of them being ‘amateurish’ (TL Note: ‘yamae’ refers to something done in an unprofessional or makeshift way, often implying a lack of formal training or legitimacy.) took root, and people began to arbitrarily underestimate their capabilities or engage in reckless comparisons.
Eunchan could never forget the memories of that day: even the Guild Master who had personally scouted them gave them the cold shoulder, and others, seizing the opportunity, continuously tried to undercut their terms.
‘I really am a tank worth my pay! When someone speaks, you bastards, try to believe them!’
Craaaash─!
With Eunchan’s roar, brimming with indignation, Scylla finally took its last hit, staggering before plummeting to the ground.
The Scylla escape incident, which had abruptly shaken Korea, concluded at that moment with a complete victory for the hunters.
